November 2015 • Volume 29 • Issue 10 A Reform Congregation Embracing Our Jewish Tradition News & Happenings from Temple Beth Tikvah Make Your Own Original Chanukah Menorah Contest see page 3 see page 11 IT’S THE ANNUAL TURKEY DRIVE! FIND OUT HOW TO HELP THOSE IN NEED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON see page 9 Nov. 13th Veteran’s Recognition Shabbat Service 6:30 PM
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November 2015 • Volume 29 • Issue 10 A Reform Congregation Embracing Our Jewish Tradition
News & Happenings from Temple Beth Tikvah
Make Your Own Original
Chanukah Menorah Contest
see page 3
see page 11
IT’S THE ANNUAL TURKEY DRIVE!
FIND OUT HOW TO HELP THOSE IN NEED THIS HOLIDAY SEASON see page 9
the fact that this American iconic celebration has its roots in
our rich Jewish tradition.
Let’s go back to the first Thanksgiving to better understand this
connection. The Pilgrims were from a deeply religious people,
the Puritans, whose heritage was strictly founded on the Bible.
According to historian Max Diamant, the Puritans regarded
themselves as Hebraists. They took the Tanakh (Holy
Scriptures) as their model of government and tried to reshape
the Magna Carta in its image. Needless to say, they weren’t a
very popular religious sect in England, and a group chose to
seek out a land where they could worship and live out their
religious traditions in freedom.
The first Pilgrims to the “new land” saw themselves as the
Israelites redeemed by God from the cruel Pharaoh (King
James I). They crossed the sea, received the law and were
delivered into the Promised Land; even Governor Bradford was
likened to Moses. It is no accident that these early settlers
called the Plymouth Colony “Little Israel.” A fun trivia fact to
share at your Thanksgiving tables: when Harvard University
was founded in 1636, Hebrew, along with Latin, was taught as
one of the two main languages and Hebrew almost became the
official language of Massachusetts. (Now wouldn’t that have
made Hebrew school so much easier for us all if that idea had
taken off!?)
It is understandable from the association the Pilgrims had with
the Bible and the traditions of our people, that after surviving
their first year and enjoying the bounty of the autumn harvest
that their Thanksgiving festival would be patterned after
Sukkot- the time to gather with honored guests (Ushpizin),
sharing in the bounty of the harvest, and giving thanks to God
for another year of life.
Fast forward to Thanksgiving 2015, and our modern
celebration. As Jews, we are commanded daily to be grateful,
appreciative and to say “thank you” to God for our lives. For
many of us, the simple act of gathering together as family and
friends around our Thanksgiving tables offers us that very
chance, to stop and appreciate the blessings in our lives. Just as
those who marked that first Pilgrim-Thanksgiving in 1621 with
gratitude and religious conviction, so must we look to our faith
to help guide us, as we offer our Hoda’ah, our thanks to God
for our bounty, our families, our joy and our freedom.
Wishing everyone a healthy, happy Thanksgiving.
Todah Rabah - A BIG Thank You Shout Out!
Dear TBT, we would like to thank the many volunteers who
helped make our Holy Days so meaningful and inspirational.
There are so many to thank- Ushers, Greeters, Torah chanters,
choir members, board members, HOTTY members, past presi-
dents, Sisterhood, Men’s Club, Torah holders, service readers,
ark openers, our amazing staff- office, custodial and school…the
list goes on and on.
A special shout out to the Roswell Police Department for their
partnership with us and of course our friends at Roswell United
Methodist Church for sharing their parking lot with us again this
year.
If you were a part of making this HHD season special, with your
presence and your love, know how much your efforts were and
continue to be appreciated. We are TBT and we are Family!
Warmly,
Rabbi Shuval-Weiner & Cantor Kassel
Veteran’s Day Shabbat - Friday, November 13
We honor the commitment and sacrifice
of those who serve and have served our
country with a Shabbat service and bless-
ing of gratitude to those who served our
nation. Community Vets will share
stories during the Oneg Shabbat.
All Jewish veterans are warmly encouraged to attend this
program. Wearing of service caps is encouraged.
Great time for relatives (adults and children) and friends to show
their gratitude to those who have kept our country free!
3
News and Happenings from Temple Beth Tikvah
Notes from Cantor Kassel
In the first week of November, Rabbi Shuval-Weiner and I, along with other members of TBT will be attending the
URJ Biennial in Orlando, Florida. These Biennials are attended by Reform clergy, educators, lay leaders of member
congregations and youth groups.
The organization was founded in 1873 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise and until 2003 was called the Union of Ameri-
can Hebrew Congregations (UAHC) Today there are more than 900 member congregations from the United States, Canada, the
Bahamas, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The U.A.H.C. was initially founded for the sole purpose of establishing a seminary
for training American rabbis to serve American congregations. In 1875 the Hebrew Union College: HUC (the seminary which
Rabbis Tam, Shuval-Weiner and I attended) was founded with Rabbi Wise as its first president.
In my office, I have a photograph of Rabbi Isaac M. Wise with three graduates of Hebrew Union College in 1895, one of whom was
my great-great uncle, Rabbi George Solomon.
The early rabbinic graduates of HUC held conferences and developed platforms to more clearly define the Reform Movement and in
1889 the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) was founded. The purpose of the UAHC then expanded to creating and
supporting its member congregations. There are many affiliate bodies of the now URJ. such as Sisterhoods (Women of Reform
Judaism.), Brotherhoods (Men of Reform Judaism) and youth (National Federation of Temple Youth) and the Religious Action
Center of Reform Judaism. There are URJ. camps throughout the country along with programs for teens in Israel.
What little I’ve shared here is only the tip of the iceberg. The URJ is rich in history as well as in its present day offerings. Reform
Judaism, merely by its descriptive, implies ‘change’. Judaism cannot survive if it is static. Imagine what it’s like to be among thou-
sands of enthusiastic and dedicated Reform Jews, eager to learn from each other and celebrate Shabbat together on such a massive
scale. Rabbi Shuval-Weiner and I along with TBT’s President and Vice President and others will experience this at the upcoming
Biennial. Be sure and ask us about the Biennial when we return. We would love to make the energy and vitality of the Biennial
experience contagious!
Want to know more? Please visit the URJ website: www.urj.org
YES, IT’S ONLY NOVEMBER, BUT HANUKKAH IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER
And New This Year we’d like to introduce two exciting Hanukkah events!
Create your own original Hanukkah Menorah contest Hanukkiyot will be judged in four categories: PreK -3rd Grade • 4th -6th Grade • 7th -12th Grade • Adult/Family
Rules: Using whatever materials you like, create an original menorah – it doesn’t have to be “usable” but it has to look
“kosher” (8 + a shamash, properly aligned)
All Entries must be in the synagogue lobby by noon on Sunday December 6. Be sure to fill out and attach an entry form to your menorah.
Members of the Board of Education will do the judging, and winners will be announced at the Shabbat/Hanukkah Celebration on Friday evening December 11th.
AND for extra fun……..Candle guessing Contest!
Guess the number of candles in the jar in the lobby and win a prize.
Submit your guess no later than noon on Sunday, December 6th.
Winner will be announced at the Shabbat/Hanukkah service on December 11th at 6:30 pm.
Fall Kallah was a HUGE success! After the months and months of planning it
was so awesome to see it finally all come together. Our theme for the weekend
was “Be the Change” and from talking about Random Acts of Kindness, writing pledge cards on what we wanted to change, making action plans with our TYG,
and hearing from speakers doing amazing work in the community, we are truly
inspired and ready to make some change in our world!
We asked one of our Fall committee chairs, Lexi Cooper, what her experience
was like being part of planning this event. Here’s what she said: My amazing experience with HOTTY started when I was in 8th grade when Temple Beth Tikvah hosted Fall Kallah in 2013. Ever since my first kallah, being involved in NFTY-SAR and HOTTY has been a great experience. I will always remember the excitement of being involved in planning my first kallah, and this year, Temple Beth Tikvah is hosting Fall Kallah again. As a sophomore, I am helping plan this amazing event as the Welcoming Com-mittee chair. Being a committee chair has been an incredible experience. I have been able to work with an amazing group of people, and it has al-lowed me to really bond with my committee members. I love seeing the interaction between the different grades as we all work together and share our creative ideas. So far, we have designed and chosen an awesome t-shirt, designed nametags, and selected super fun mixers for the entire weekend. As a committee member, I have really enjoyed helping plan all of the little details that will come together to make Fall Kallah an amazing event. I had so much fun during the weekend, joining hundreds of teens from the southern-area region (SAR) and sharing the incredible programs that all of the committees worked so very hard to put together!
WHAT’S UP NEXT FOR HOTTY?
Join us on Saturday, November 7th for our Roswell Haunted Ghost Tour. We’ll
also spend some time looking at what Judaism has to say about the afterlife and
do Havdallah in Roswell Town Square. Oohh spooky!! See you there! Did you know we have a youth lounge just for HOTTY? Come out on November
11th for our first ever HOTTY Youth Lounge Night! It’s a night of pizza and some
good hanging out time with your friends!
Join the HOTTY Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TBT.HOTTY/) to
stay up-to-date on what's happening and to RSVP for HOTTY events!
Join our Remind101 text updates: text @826ef3 to 81010.
JYG (7-8th Grade)
We’re excited to finally kick off the year with Junior Youth Group (JYG). For
JYG we’ve got lots of events planned, like a Cooking class, Social Action
Project, and Minute-to-Win-it & Tye-Dye Party. Mark your calendars for
December 6th for our Cooking class at Young Chef’s Academy.
And, save-the-date…March 11-13th is NFTY-SAR’s Hatikvah Kallah for 7th & 8th
graders at Temple Kol Emeth in Marietta!! We’ll send out more info about this
awesome weekend as the date gets closer.
Join the JYG Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TBT.JYG/) to stay up-to-date on what's happening with JYG, RSVP and arrange carpools for events!
Club 56 (5th & 6th Grade)
We had a great first year of events for our 5th & 6th graders and look forward to another fun-filled year. Join us this year for events like a Hollywood Night, Mad Scientist, and Pool Party & BBQ. Our next events will be Bowling on Saturday, November 14th and then our Hollywood Night on Saturday, December 5th at
TBT. Watch Facebook and your email for all the details.
Join the 5th & 6th Grade Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/groups/TBT.56/)
to stay up-to-date on what's happening, RSVP and arrange carpools for events!
Thank you so much to all of our families who helped
house teens for the NFTY Kallah!!! Thank you also to
all of our volunteers who pitched in planning the
Kallah and helping during the weekend, baking for
the oneg, flipping rooms, setting up, cleaning up,
serving meals, and more. The weekend was a huge
success and we truly couldn’t have done it without
the support and help of our community!
A huge THANK YOU from HOTTY and NFTY-SAR!
Want more info about the youth groups at TBT? Contact Adam or Bobbee at: [email protected] or (404) 228–2494
A hearty Yasher Koach and Mazal Tov to HOTTY for an
outstanding NFTY-SAR Fall Kallah! “BE THE
CHANGE”. Once again, our TBT teens set the bar
extremely high demonstrating to the region what
meaningful teen learning and engagement should look
like. May you all continue to go from strength to strength!
Kol HaKavod to Bobbee and Adam Griff for their
tremendous guidance of our youth. We are truly blessed
to have this dynamic team on our synagogue staff.
Thank you to all of the TBT family members who opened
their homes so warmly to the visiting teens from across
our region.
Thanks to Men’s Club, Sisterhood and all of the wonder-
ful adult volunteers who helped make the weekend such a
Happy Fall to you! Sisterhood has been busy planning
events for the year and having fun at the same time. Bunco
and Brainstorming was a great success and a welcoming
opportunity to offer input into events for the year and
socialize all at once. It’s so nice to see such interest and
enthusiasm. A special thank you goes out to Wendy Klein
for “studying the rules” to lead Bunco and to Leslie
Swichkow for her culinary delights. Yumm!
Knit and Nosh has been our ongoing Tikkun Olam project
related to helping homeless individuals. We are busy knit-
ting and crotcheting scarves, so grab your needles and
crotchet hook and join us Sunday, Nov. 15th in the
conference room. We hope to finish our scarves by early
December for distribution to area shelters.
Mah Jong has arrived! If you read this on or before Nov. 1st,
come and join us in the Social Hall at 9:45 a.m. for a
morning of fun and socializing. Beginners welcome and
teachers will be there!
Watch for details regarding our outing to Oli + Ve,
December 3rd, 7:00 pm. to 8:30 p.m. We will be tasting the
world’s finest premium olive oils and vinegars! Yum!!!
Robin Bledsoe Sisterhood Chair
HELP US HELP YOU
Your synagogue community wants to be a Caring Community/Kehillat Chesed
If you have recently experienced a loss, are facing a crisis or are celebrating a simcha, please let our office know as soon as possible.
Our clergy and friends strive to be a source of support as best as they can. If you know of one of our fellow congregants who has experienced a loss or can use a hand, please contact the office at 770.642.0434.
TBT Seniors Luncheon
Monday, November 9th at 12 PM
The Synagogue in Jewish Life: Its Origins and Future
18 6th of Kislev 19 7th of Kislev 20 8th of Kislev
ECEC Thanksgiving
Feast 12:00 pm Shabbat Service
8:00 pm
21 9th of Kislev
Bagels, Learning &
Torah 9:00 am
Shabbat Service -
Ryan Cohen Bar
Mitzvah 10:00 am
22 10th of Kislev
No Religious School
23 11th of Kislev
Cobb & Fulton
County School
Break
No ECEC No Religious School Families Anonymous
7:15 pm
24 12th of Kislev
Cobb & Fulton
County School
Break No ECEC No Religious School Tai Chi 9:30 am
25 13th of Kislev
Cobb & Fulton
County School
Break No ECEC
26 14th of Kislev Thanksgiving Day
Cobb & Fulton
County School
Break No ECEC
TBT Offices
Closed
27 15th of Kislev
Cobb & Fulton
County School
Break No ECEC TBT Offices
Closed Shabbat Service
8:00 pm
28 16th of Kislev
Bagels, Learning &
Torah 9:00 am Shabbat Service
10:00 am
29 17th of Kislev
No Religious School
30 18th of Kislev
Kesher &
Confirmation 6:45 pm Families Anonymous
7:15 pm
11
“Building Our Future Today” The theme of the TBT 2015-2016 Annual Campaign was chosen to be symbolic of new opportunities and the future growth for our community. The excitement about our future begins today with the emergence of Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner as our new Rabbi and her commitment to leading TBT into the future.
By now, all members of the TBT family have received a letter regarding this year’s goals and initiatives. In case you haven’t opened your correspondence yet, here are the highlights:
Our fiscal goal for this year is $110,000
Our goal is to have 100% of our families participate in this year’s program
To help us reach our goals we are also very fortunate to have 2 matching fund programs in place:
The Blank Family Foundation will begin its 2nd year of a 50% matching program on all gifts through January 31st up to $50,000, enabling us an opportunity to receive $25,000.
An anonymous TBT member has agreed to match up to $10,000 based upon the number of families who provide either new gift increments of $250 or increases over last year’s by individuals over $250. If you gave $100 last year and can increase that amount to $350, this increase of $250 will be matched.
Yes, our goals are lofty but why shouldn’t they be? We are a caring community that has a tremendous opportunity by reaching our goals. Yes, as it has often been preached, the Annual Campaign significantly aids our budget in tending to the physical needs of our building. Sometimes forgotten though is the use of the Annual Campaign to aid in the support of TBT programming and staffing. When the budget needs funds to support Religious School and ECEC initiatives, it’s the AC that helps provide support. Adult Education and Youth Group programs are also aided by the funds raised by the Annual Campaign. Throughout the year, as funds are raised, they go into the budget to support programming at TBT.
As we consider new opportunities for the future, the growth of families that we expect will need new staffing to help support our growth. Funding these new staffing initiatives begins with the funds we raise in the Annual Campaign.
“Building Our Future Today”, simply put, can’t be done without every TBT family’s participation.
There are several ways to contribute:
1. Send a check to the TBT office and note a contribution to 2015-1016 Annual Campaign
2. Click here and contribute on line through the TBT web site
3. Send back the contribution card that you received with the Annual campaign letter
In advance, on behalf of the Fundraising Committee and the Board of Trustees, thank you for “Giving with your Heart” and “Building Our Future Today”.
Shalom,
Jonathan Agin
Board of Trustee and Chair of the Fundraising Committee